Golfbag and hydration system

ABSTRACT

A golf bag and integrated liquid hydration system that allows golfers to bring multiple servings of liquids onto the golf course, while not increasing the amount of items he would normally carry. The hydration system is also able to serve multiple users in a hygienic fashion.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present disclosure is for a beverage delivery, or hydration, systemintegrated into a specialized golf bag used for carry golf clubs andother golfing equipment.

BACKGROUND

The water content in our bodies is extremely important to our health andwell being, and must be maintained at a suitable level. Drops in thebody's water content can happen especially quickly while exercising inthe heat, often catching a person unawares until symptoms set in.Sweating is the body's main system for getting rid of extra heat. Whenyou sweat, and the water evaporates from your skin, the heat thatevaporates the sweat comes mainly from your skin. As long as blood isflowing properly to your skin, extra heat from the core of your body is“pumped” to the skin and removed by sweat evaporation. If you do notsweat enough, you cannot get rid of extra heat well, and you also can'tget rid of heat as well if blood is not flowing to the skin. Dehydrationwill make it harder for you to cool of in two ways: if you aredehydrated you won't sweat as much, and your body will try to keep bloodaway from the skin to keep your blood pressure at the right level in thecore of your body. But, since you lose water when you sweat, you mustmake up that water to keep from becoming dehydrated. If the air ishumid, it's harder for your sweat to evaporate—this means that your bodycannot get rid of extra heat as well when it's muggy as it can when it'srelatively dry. This can lead to heat-related illnesses such as heatcramps, heat exhaustion, heat prostration and in severe situations, evenloss of consciousness and death.

Even if severe symptoms do not occur, dehydration can affect anathlete's performance in less than an hour of exercise—even sooner ifthe athlete begins the session less than fully hydrated.

Athletes who exercise outdoors, especially in hot weather have longrecognized the importance of staying hydrated while exercising. Numerousdevices are known to enable bikers, hikers and runners to carrying asupply of beverage with them while exercising. Usually worn on theathlete's back or on the hip, these “hydration packs” allow the user tocarry a container of liquids on their bodies. These packs commonly havea soft pouch for holding liquids and a drinking tube that allows theuser to drink directly from the hydration.

While these camelback packs are ideal for bikers, hikers and runnerssince they are carried on the person's body, it is becomes unwieldy foruse by a golfer because the golfer already has to carry his golf clubs.

Golfing is usually not associated with more strenuous aerobic exercisessuch as running and biking, and many golf courses do not allow golfersto bring beverage containers onto the greens. However, it can be just asstrenuous as other aerobic sport. Due to the wide range of age andphysique of golfers, and the hot or humid conditions the game is oftenplayed, there is an often-ignored need to bring a sufficient amount ofdrinking water. Also, because a round of golf can take a long time,small servings of beverage may not be enough. Finally, there may bemultiple golfers in a group that require liquid sustenance.

While the afore-discussed hydration backpacks may serve its purpose wellfor other outdoor sports, for a golfer this means carrying a second packin addition to the golf bag and clubs he already has to carry. Thisbecomes quite unwieldy and cumbersome when the golfer wants to have adrink while carry both the golf bag and the hydration pack. He wouldalso have to take off the hydration pack when he is ready to play around. Because of the hassle involved, most golfers simply do not bringliquids to drink while they are on the greens.

What is desired is a liquid delivery/hydration system that allowsgolfers to bring multiple servings of liquids onto the golf course,while not increasing the amount of items he would normally carry. It isalso desired that the hydration system be able to serve multiple usersin a hygienic fashion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts an outside view of the golfbag according to oneembodiment.

FIG. 2 a depicts a front view of the beverage reservoir part of thehydration system.

FIG. 2 b depicts the side view of the beverage reservoir.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A novel sports bag and integrated hydration system is disclosed. FIG. 1depicts an embodiment of the golf bag 101. Much like a standard golfbag, it should have capacity to hold a set of golf clubs 102, andpouches 103 for golf gear such as tees. Straps 104 are for carrying thebag on a golfer's back or shoulder. In the embodiment depicted, areservoir pocket 105 with a closeable closure 106 is positioned on anoutside wall of the golf bag. The reservoir pocket 105 forms anenclosure for carrying a beverage reservoir 201 as described below.Preferably, the reservoir pocket 105 should be positioned on theexterior of the golf bag such that it rests against the side or back ofthe person carrying the golf bag. This way, when the beverage reservoir201 is loaded into the reservoir pocket 105, the weight of the liquidrests against and cushions the carrier's body.

The inner lining of the reservoir pocket 105 should be made of, orcovered in, an insulated material that can help maintain the temperatureof the beverage carried in the beverage reservoir. The enclosure 106 ofthe reservoir pocket can be fastened shut by any known or convenientmeans, including buttons, fasteners, Velcro®, and zippers. An opening,or slit 107, allows the beverage flow lines to pass through to theoutside of the pocket (see below).

An embodiment of a beverage reservoir and hydration system is depictedin FIGS. 2 a and 2 b (collectively FIG. 2). FIG. 2 a shows a front viewof the reservoir, and FIG. 2 b shows a side view of it. The beveragereservoir 201 is made of a durable but collapsible material that willallow the reservoir to be flattened when empty. It should also be madeof a transparent material for easy viewing of the level of beverage whenit is being filled. Any material known or convenient may be chosen,including plastics, polyurethane, or rubber. In the embodiment of thereservoir depicted, the reservoir has a vertically elongated shape suchthat the weight of the liquid carried will be distributed evenly alongthe side of the sports bag. With the weight distributed evenly, a userwill have an easier time carrying the sports bag when the hydrationsystem is loaded.

The beverage reservoir 201 has an opening 202 for filing it with aliquid or beverage 203. The opening 202 is closed with a removable cap202 a that forms a watertight seal when securely mated with the opening.A top handle 204 is made integral with the beverage reservoir 201, andis used for carrying and handling the reservoir when it is to be filledwith liquid, or emptied. In another embodiment not shown, a bottomhandle may be employed. The handles can be flat and molded from the samematerial that forms the beverage reservoir itself. Liquid level markers206 can assist the user if a powder or liquid beverage mix is used andneed to be diluted with water.

Beverage flow line connectors 207 are located near the bottom of thebeverage reservoir 201. These connectors are located near the bottom ofthe reservoir so that the beverage will flow easily into beverage flowlines. In the embodiment depicted, two beverage flow lines, suitable forserving beverage to two users, can be connected to the beveragereservoir 201. If only one user is using the hydration system, theunused connector is capped shut with a water-tight cap 208 and abeverage flow line is not connected. In an alternate embodiment, thebeverage flow lines can be permanently made integral with the reservoir.In a further embodiment, only one beverage flow line will be madeavailable.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, a beverage flow line 210 has opposedends, one ending in a connector 211 for connecting with a beverage flowline connector 207, and the other ending in a mouthpiece 212. Thebeverage flow line 210 should be of sufficient length to reach theuser's mouth when the beverage reservoir is loaded in to the reservoirpocket, and the user is carrying the golf bag. For easy access, thebeverage flow line 210 can be connected to one of the shoulder straps104 of the golf bag 101.

In an embodiment of the system, the mouthpiece 212 is a valve device andhas a cylindrical sidewall that forms a chamber. A valve element islocated inside the chamber and prevents backflow of the beverage. Themouthpiece is formed such that it allows it to be held securely betweenthe user's lips. When the user compresses the opposed sidewalls of thechamber with his teeth, liquid flows through the mouthpiece.

Referring back to FIG. 1, arrow 111 indicates the beverage reservoir 201being loaded, bottom first, into the golf bag 101. The closure 106 ofthe reservoir pocket 106 is opened and the filled reservoir 201 islifted into and secured inside the reservoir pocket 105. A beverage flowline 210 is passed through the opening 107 in the reservoir pocket sothat the flow line and mouthpiece is outside the reservoir pocket. Oncethe reservoir 201 is loaded, the closure can be closed again, forming aninsulated space to maintain the temperature of the beverage. Thebeverage delivery line can then be removably attached to the shoulderstrap 104 for easy access.

When the user is done with the hydration system, the beverage reservoircan be taken out of the reservoir pocket, drained and cleaned. When thehydration system is not needed for use with the golf bag (for example,when the user is going to a driving range only), the hydration systemcan be conveniently stored separately by compressing it flat.

Although the invention has been described in conjunction with specificembodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modificationsand variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. By way ofexample, a tennis racquet bag with a similar construction to the golfbag disclosed above can be made. Accordingly, the invention as describedand hereinafter claimed is intended to embrace all such alternatives,modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and broad scopeof the appended claims.

1. A sports bag and hydration system, comprising: a bag capable ofcarrying sporting equipment and having a pouch on its exterior toreceive a reservoir pack; at least one carrying strap for carrying saidbag; a reservoir pack capable of carrying liquids and capable of beingsecured within said pouch on the exterior of the bag; at least oneliquid delivery line; wherein each liquid delivery line is capable ofbeing attached to the reservoir pouch at one end, and ends in amouthpiece at the opposing end; and each liquid delivery line capable ofdelivering liquid from the reservoir pouch to a user.
 2. The sports bagand hydration system of claim 1, wherein said reservoir pack comprises:a handle for lifting said reservoir pack; and an opening for filing thereservoir pack with liquid;
 3. The sports bag and hydration system ofclaim 1, wherein said reservoir pack comprises: receptacles forremovably attaching one or more liquid delivery lines; and at least onecap for capping said receptacles with a water-tight seal when a liquiddelivery line is not attached.
 4. The sports bag and hydration system ofclaim 1, wherein said reservoir pack is made of a translucent material.5. The sports bag and hydration system of claim 4, wherein saidreservoir pack has measuring levels showing the amount of liquid it isholding.
 6. The sports bag and hydration system of claim 1, wherein saidpouch on the exterior of the bag is insulated.
 7. The sports bag andhydration system of claim 1, wherein said mouthpiece comprises a valvethat opens when the mouthpiece is compressed, thereby permitting liquidto flow through the liquid delivery line through said mouthpiece.
 8. Thesports bag and hydration system of claim 1, wherein said sportsequipment comprises a set of golf clubs.
 9. The sports bag and hydrationsystem of claim 1, wherein said sports equipment comprises a tennisracquet.
 10. The sports bag and hydration system of claim 1, whereinsaid at least one liquid delivery line is insulated.
 11. The sports bagand hydration system of claim 1, wherein said at least one liquiddelivery line is capable of being attached to a carrying strap.
 12. Thesports bag and hydration system of claim 1, wherein said pouch on thebag's exterior is situated such that when it is loaded with thereservoir pack, the reservoir pack acts as a cushion between the sportsbag and the user carrying the bag.
 13. The sports bag and hydrationsystem of claim 1, wherein said reservoir pack is shaped such that theweight of the liquid carried within is distributed along the verticalaxis.